This one took a few tries, but the end result was great. Hopefully, I have worked out the kinks for you. You will need:
paper (a piece of printer paper is what we used, but get fancy if you like)
scissors
thumb tacks, push pins, straight pins or something like these
crayons, markers and any additional decorating material
un-sharpened pencils with long, firm erasers
Gently bend a piece of paper in half. You don't actually want to crease the paper all of the way, you are only making a guide-line. Take the folded paper, and gently bend it in half. Unfold, and cut along the light guide-lines.
After cutting, you will have 4 quarters of paper. Take one quarter, and follow the same bending process, except don't cut yet. Bend the quarter in half, then again. The light creases will show you the center of the paper.
Take the quarter, and cut from a corner of the paper into the center. You don't want to go all the way to the center, imagine a circle in the center that is about 1 1/2'' to 2'' and stop at the edge of that circle. Start at each corner, and repeat. You will end up with 4 triangles, connected by a circle in the center of the paper.
Decorate the quarters that have been cut to "almost" the center.
Take the edge of a triangle on the quarter, and bend the paper toward the center. Skip the other side of the triangle. Go to the next edge, and repeat. Every other edge will be gently bent toward the center.
Hold the corners together at the center of the paper, and push a tack (or whatever device you are using) through the bent corners and the center.
Then, push the tack into the side of a pencil eraser.
Ta- dah, pinwheel.
What I learned:
if the pinwheel is leaning against the pencil, it will not work well,
if the paper is "folded" instead of "bent" it might not work well,
if the tack is pushed in too far (to the eraser), it will be slow,
if the tack is not pushed in enough, the wheel will fly off the pencil,
there are small materials involved (tacks), so watch the kids closely,
if the pencil does not have a firm, fully-intact eraser, the wheel will not hold.
By the way, if you use left-over red holiday paper for the pinwheels - "hello", 4th of July! Or, make little pinwheels with patriotic colored paper, stick them in a vase filled with patriotic-colored rocks or marbles, tie left-over red holiday ribbon around the vase - "hello", 4th of July centerpieces!
Please let me know how this worked for you. Contact me at, blog@klinecreative.com. Have fun!
paper (a piece of printer paper is what we used, but get fancy if you like)
scissors
thumb tacks, push pins, straight pins or something like these
crayons, markers and any additional decorating material
un-sharpened pencils with long, firm erasers
Gently bend a piece of paper in half. You don't actually want to crease the paper all of the way, you are only making a guide-line. Take the folded paper, and gently bend it in half. Unfold, and cut along the light guide-lines.
After cutting, you will have 4 quarters of paper. Take one quarter, and follow the same bending process, except don't cut yet. Bend the quarter in half, then again. The light creases will show you the center of the paper.
Take the quarter, and cut from a corner of the paper into the center. You don't want to go all the way to the center, imagine a circle in the center that is about 1 1/2'' to 2'' and stop at the edge of that circle. Start at each corner, and repeat. You will end up with 4 triangles, connected by a circle in the center of the paper.
Decorate the quarters that have been cut to "almost" the center.
Take the edge of a triangle on the quarter, and bend the paper toward the center. Skip the other side of the triangle. Go to the next edge, and repeat. Every other edge will be gently bent toward the center.
Hold the corners together at the center of the paper, and push a tack (or whatever device you are using) through the bent corners and the center.
Then, push the tack into the side of a pencil eraser.
Ta- dah, pinwheel.
What I learned:
if the pinwheel is leaning against the pencil, it will not work well,
if the paper is "folded" instead of "bent" it might not work well,
if the tack is pushed in too far (to the eraser), it will be slow,
if the tack is not pushed in enough, the wheel will fly off the pencil,
there are small materials involved (tacks), so watch the kids closely,
if the pencil does not have a firm, fully-intact eraser, the wheel will not hold.
By the way, if you use left-over red holiday paper for the pinwheels - "hello", 4th of July! Or, make little pinwheels with patriotic colored paper, stick them in a vase filled with patriotic-colored rocks or marbles, tie left-over red holiday ribbon around the vase - "hello", 4th of July centerpieces!
Please let me know how this worked for you. Contact me at, blog@klinecreative.com. Have fun!
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